The Brush-Off: A Hair-raising Mystery [Mass Market Paperback]

Laura Bradley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2004

Make an appointment for intrigue at Reyn Marten Sawyer'shair salon Outrageous, flirtatious, and as colorful as a magenta mohawk, Reyn tracks twisted crimes, untangles tight knots, and never, ever leaves loose ends. Someone clearly meant business when they targeted San Antonio's hair salon king, Ricardo, who was fatally stabbed with a one-of-a-kind weapon: a sharp plastic hair pick. Reyn had loaned Ricardo the tool -- and now she's not only mourning her friend and mentor's murder: she's also a suspect. And in the eyes of sexy detective Jackson Scythe, she's one alluring stylist who should drop her insistent sleuthing like a hot roller. But Reyn's wound a little too tight to stay out of the thick of things, including teasing and taming the stubbornly single Scythe while taking short cuts to catch a killer -- and uncovering the past of a dead man, whose secrets will make Reyn's hair curl....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sassy hair stylist Reyn Sawyer makes a hilarious debut in this zany mystery, the first in a promising series from Bradley. When Reyn's friend and mentor, Ricardo, beauty salon mogul of San Antonio, is murdered with the sharp end of one of Reyn's styling brushes, Reyn shoots to the top of handsome detective Jackson Scythe's suspect list. More to avenge Ricardo's killer than to exonerate herself, Reyn decides to do some snooping on her own. From drag queens to aging socialites, Reyn learns that no one is above suspicion as she and best friend/sleuthing partner Trudy Trujillo look for clues at Ricardo's old haunts-not an easy job with Scythe dogging their every step. In their quest to find Ricardo's killer, the ditzy pair raid a private entertainment club, threaten a psychic, break into the victim's house and accuse one of San Antonio's most prominent women of having Ricardo's illegitimate child. Although the action can be cartoonish at times, such as when Reyn accidentally overuses some hair products on a client, the dialogue is snappy and the characters are likable. Fans of cozies, screwball comedies and Sarah Strohmeyer's Bubbles Yablonsky mystery series will savor this fun, albeit predictable, ride.
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Review

...clever plot, high style, and razor-sharp wit....This is one you'll want to keep on your reading shelf...perm-anently. -- Maddy Hunter, author of

...the first of a great new mystery series...well-developed and fast-paced...rich and amusing characters.... -- TheBestReviews.com

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books (April 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743471113
• ISBN-13: 978-0743471114
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,421,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous new mystery series!, May 13, 2004

By 

Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Brush-Off: A Hair-raising Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

Reyn Marten Sawyer owns a small hair salon attached to her house. Her mentor and friend Ricardo, who owns a large chain of salons, is found dead in his salon - stabbed with one of her hairbrushes!

Detective Jackson Scythe is very good looking. He calls and requests Reyn to come over to identify the body. Apparently she was the last person Ricardo called before dying. So she is at the top of his suspect list.

She begins investigating to uncover Ricardo's murderer and to get her life back. She and her best friend and sleuthing partner Trudy Trujillo look for clues. Some of their methods are creative. They are quite surprised when they find that includes talking to drag queens as well as breaking and entering. Ricardo's customers were high society ladies, but getting his list of clients does not prove easy. They have to visit a very strange psychic for help.

With her contacts in the business, Reyn is able to uncover quite a bit of information. Unfortunately Detective Scythe is dogging her every move.

Along the way, Reyn and Trudy find out a lot of hidden information about Ricardo's life, but they aren't sure if it will help them solve his murder.

Reyn ends up putting herself and others in danger. Scythe has his hands full trying to keep her safe. Reyn keeps trying to get out from under his care. This makes for a lot of trouble, but it is fun for the reader.

This is a delightful, funny mystery. Many times I found myself laughing outloud. Ms. Bradley has created a great set of characters. Reyn and Detective Scythe have lots of sexual tension. Trudy, her husband and his mother add a lot of laughs to this book. Trudy and Reyn get themselves in many interesting situations. The San Antonio setting is great, too.

I highly recommend this book! I can't wait to read the next book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take a chance..., October 24, 2004

By 

Angy "angyeliz" (Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Brush-Off: A Hair-raising Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

I've been trying to find new authors and picked this book on a whim, and I never regretted it. It is almost slap stick comedy at times, but over all it is a fun book. The predicaments the heroine gets herself into are priceless and seem to shadow Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum. At the end of the book, you crave to know if Reyn and the hunky cop ever get together. The surprising little mini-twist are refreshing and the book keeps you guessing until the end. I will definitely be reading more of Laura Badley.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars charming, funny and exciting, April 29, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Brush-Off: A Hair-raising Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

She came from a small Texas town to San Antonio to make something of herself and she talked Ricardo, the famous Beauty Salon King into giving her a job. He was her mentor and they became friends and they still had a good relationship after she left him to go solo. She runs her own salon in the historical house she restored to its former glory. After a while passes, Ricardo comes into Reyn Marten Sawyer's Salon to borrow a very sharp hair brush that he needs for a special customer.

That night he calls Reyn waking her up. She thinks his mind is a bit muddled from drink because he isn't making any sense. The next day she gets another phone call, this time from the police, telling her that Ricardo is dead and they need her to identify the body. She goes over to his home and sees that the murder weapon was the brush he borrowed from her. That and the fact that he left her his business make her a suspect in the eyes of the adorable Detective Jacks Scythe. Reyn seeks the perpetrator much to the horror and dismay of Detective Scythe.

This is the first "Hair-Raising Mystery" and it is charming, funny and exciting as Reyn runs over anyone who gets in her way once she makes up her mind on a course of action. Laura Bradley has a refreshing writing style that uses humor to diffuse some tension. As much as she tries to deny it, the heroine is very interested in the sexy detective making THE BRUSH-OFF of interest to fans of romantic mysteries.

Harriet Klausner